A Human-Centric Marketing Road Trip

It is not a secret that Coronavirus has slowed down many businesses and this allowed us to focus and do things that we have always wanted but that we were not doing because we did not have enough time for it. In my case, for instance, I was able to dedicate more time to teach and inspire the next generations. I taught three full (online) courses at LUISS Business School of Rome, I finished teaching an MBA course at Cracow School of Business (that has started physically but I end up teaching it online) and I started together with my colleague Luca Bertocci a set of free online classes to spread our marketing knowledge – of course, human-centric (by the way you can join these classes every Wednesday at 6 pm CET, you only have to register at www.humancentricmarketing.com). Since the classes were online it was much easier to involve people from different companies so that they could share their unique perspective about specific topics.

Inviting these great professionals to give a speech during my classes, made me feel like I did an amazing road trip. You know, one of these where you stop in key cities to meet some old friends or to make some new ones. I like the comparison with a road trip, because usually, they are not about the destination, but about the journey, about experiences, stories and inspiring conversations with the people you meet. This is exactly what happened to me when I decided to involve in my classes some of the people that I admire the most from the marketing field. So, I hope you are ready, I am telling the story of an adventurous human-centric marketing road trip.  

If I need to imagine the vehicle for such a road trip then I would probably choose a Harley Davidson, not for its performance but for what it represents. Probably you already know the story: when a journalist asked John Russell, former Vice President of Harley Davidson, what Harley was selling, he could have simply answered, motorbikes! Instead, he said: “What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns, and have people be afraid of him”. In the same way, I imagine this trip in the company of the most “badass” marketers I could find, that I will start introducing to you.

First Companion – Tiago Santos

Key Advice: Expand your category by understanding what you are really selling

The first companion of the trip was my dear old friend Tiago Santos, Vice President Marketing & Sales of one of the biggest dairy companies in the world. When I asked him what was he thinking about the Harley Davidson story, Tiago pointed out how this story highlights the importance of trying to go beyond the product category you are in. He brought the example of Martini, which is not just selling alcohol but is selling as well: the “Dolce Vita” lifestyle. There are snacks that are not "just chips", which sell the feeling of coolness. Patagonia, one of his favorite brands, is not selling clothes, is selling adventurous stories. Like all these brands, to be successful is not enough to deliver an excellent product, but a clear emotional experience is also a must.

What I really enjoyed about his speech was also his advice to small and big brands during this pandemic: “stay true to your core values and invest now”. The Chinese word “crisis” contains in itself the concept of opportunity; brands with a clear positioning and that gained trust from their clients will come out stronger from this crisis and if they invest now, with the right message, they will be able to be heard while everyone else is in “silent mode”.

Talking with Tiago was really motivating for me, we spent a very nice afternoon, and then I decided to head to Parma.

Second Companion –Julia Schwoerer

Key Advice: Stop thinking in terms of consumers, start thinking in terms of people

Once I arrived in Parma I met with Julia Schwoerer, the Marketing Vice President of Barilla / Mulino Bianco. This was the second time I had the pleasure to chat with her: we immediately got along since we shared the same human-centric marketing “religion”. When I met her she told me a very inspiring story: “In Barilla we try to avoid using the word “consumer”. Indeed, this word refers to those that buy and consume products. Instead, we like to use the word “people” because people live experiences, people live our brands. We believe that a brand can be powerful only if it truly brings value in the lives of people and is able to touch their hearts”. What I really like about her story was that we should stop thinking B2B or B2C, we should always think H2H (human to human). It is only when we look at customers in a more holistic way as humans with full and complicated lives that we can create more engaging brands and more powerful communication.

After talking to Julia, I went to Milan, where I had another friend to meet: Dario Gargiulo. 

Third Companion –Dario Gargiulo

Key Advice: Find your WHY 

Dario is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Bottega Veneta, former CMO of Diesel and Heineken Brands Director. Dario, just like me, is from Naples. He wrote one of the cases in my book and he is truly one of the most brilliant marketers I met in my career. I told him about my road trip and that I learned the importance of “expanding the category by trying to go beyond the product category you are in” and “not use the word consumers”. He gave me a little nod and added: “yes, but also do not forget to find your WHY”. Then he continued by borrowing a sentence from Simon Sinek: “People don’t buy what you do, but WHY you do it”.

With this sentence, he wanted to highlight how important it is for a brand to have a purpose. Times are changing. Today’s consumers care about more than just which products or services companies offer—they care about what kind of impact brands are making in the world. And if you want to take your brand to the next level, you need a sense of purpose— a sense of purpose your audience truly connects to. Your brand purpose can have a major impact on how your brand is viewed in the market—and, ultimately, can be the driving force behind your success. My personal interpretation of Diesel, for instance, was that with unconventional campaigns such as “Deisel – Go with the fake” or “Diesel go with the flaw”, Diesel has the purpose to inspires people to challenge the Status Quo. When I watch these campaigns I feel that Diesel wants to inspire people to be who they are and to always believe in themselves. Heineken’s purpose on the other end it is completely different. My interpretation is that the brand purpose is to build true human connections and break down barriers because the brand believes that great moments of shared experiences are the best in life. In today’s era, a brand without a purpose is shallow, and for this, it won’t ever be truly successful.

All of a sudden, I started realizing that also this road trip had a purpose: to discover the human side of marketing. 

Fourth Companion – Stephane Duret

Key Advice – Be meaningful, respectful, and sustainable 

My fourth stop was to meet Stephane Duret, another Top Manager with an impressive experience: over 20 years in leading luxury Maisons!

When I met him I told him about the parallelism I found between marketing and acting (one of my favorite hobbies). I like to see brands as actors and the store as the stage where they perform. Lights, music, and perfumes are just some of the elements that contribute to creating a unique shopping experience. Stephane is a Digital Marketing expert and I was very curious to know if he thought that the role of the store will in some way become less important in the next years, especially after the Covid-19 Pandemic.

I found his answer very interesting. He highlighted the importance of in-store interactions on two levels: H2H, human to human, and H2B, humans to brands. My interpretation of the first level is that it refers to the interaction between the shopper and the clerks. The latter should not be seen as a seller, but more as a consultant, able to help you reach your full potential by addressing you towards the right items, in line with your lifestyle and values. The second level of interaction is, on the other hand, connected to the interaction between the shopper and the brand. In the store you can touch, smell, wear, and live the brand really at 360 degrees and this is somehow not fully replicable online.

In reality, what Covid-19 is teaching us is that we should slow down and do things less frenetically, more wisely. This has recently been highlighted by Giorgio Armani, and Stephane’s point of view is “400%” in line with it. Before saying goodbye, he left me with a piece of clear advice: “Remember Matteo, a brand should always be meaningful, respectful, and sustainable”.

Fifth Companion - Roberto Zepponi

Key Advice: Start with a human insight

My last stop was Genova, where my friend Roberto Zepponi lives. Roberto is the Marketing and Trade Marketing Director of Royal Unibrew for Italy and Balkans. Talking to Roberto was as always very inspiring. He spoke about Ceres, one of the beer brands that he is managing in the portfolio, and how it became one of the Italians’ favorite beers. At the base of its success, there is a fantastic digital strategy that starts from a great human insight: “in an era in which social media is often used to document the happiest moments of our lives or our greatest accomplishments, and very often become the best way to show off, people are valuing more brands that are authentic and genuine”.

Starting with this human insight Ceres builds its positioning: the beer that people choose when they are at the bar with friends and they can be truly who they are. A beer that is authentic, bold, and happy-go-lucky. The brand, with its unique tone of voice, was able to create some of the most effective real-time marketing campaigns that became viral across the country.

I felt much enriched by talking with Roberto, and I felt I could go back home to put into practice all these important human-centric marketing learnings from this amazing road trip.

In my classes, I always try to inspire my students to be more curious and to be like sponges: listening and absorbing as much knowledge as possible from other’s people experiences. In all reality, these great professionals have shared much more than what I mentioned above. Every single session left inside me and the students an overall feeling of enthusiasm and motivation. I really believe that these people’s stories really made us better marketers and for this, I will be always very grateful.

Thanks for the great road trip!

Written by Matteo Rinaldi

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